Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1887-04-17
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ILLINOIS PIONEERS.
MANNER OF LIVING BY THOSE WHO
FIRST BROKE THE PRAIRlES.

The Building of the Log Cabln-Furni-
ture of the observation-disclosures and
sweep" for Grinding Corn-Goins 10
1IilI-Clothins.
Pioneer life takes its shape from the sr,r-
rourdings. Southern Illinois differed from
the other western states in being distant
from large towns, without public convey
ance, having g climate neither cold nor
warm, having nearly even mixture Of
woodland aud prairie, and being settled by
eTGigrants from the south.
The houses were mostly round pole cabins
not the huge poplar logs they had used in
the south, but such as they could get. Some
times the walls were ''sheiped down. or
very slightly hewn, and sometimes the walls
were built Of split logs slnoothed q little on
the face Some Of the cracks in these walls
were chinked and daubed, while some were
left open 10 admit light. Windows wero
nearly or quite unknown. Some OF the
cabins Rad cracks all around THAT dog
could jump through" If the floor was any
thing else tI;an bare ground it was made of
puncheons or slabs, split out and slnoothed
a little with q chopping axe, and fastened
ell. There were but three ''slcopers'' to the
floor, one at each end and enc il the middle.
The roof was not nailed and had 10 rafters.
At the caves the end logs projected 81 each
corner foot or two beyond the walls, and
on the ends OF these rested logs one on each
side: and these were called ''buttin' poles
because the ends Of the first course Of boards
batted AGAINST them. Several courses Of
logs were then pat up, the gables, Of course,
upright, y nile the side logs ,gere drawn in
to shane the roof" On these logs clapboards
were laid, four foot boards being generally
used, and held down by weight poles" y
pole was laid on each course of boards, and
these poles were kept in place by blocks or
sticks set UP between them, called knees"
The chimney was of split logs below and
small sticks higher up, with a stone, some
times only a dirt, fireplace. Sometimes
there was q loft, made By laying clapboards
on the joists; sometimes not; and then the
joists-generally poles-were convenient for
hanging up deer and deer skins, etc. Shelves
resting on long pins in the walls answered
for cupboard, pantry, bureau and wardrobe,
as everything that might not IS well be on
the floor was slowed away on these shelves.
There were but few bedsteads in the coun-
try BED scaffolds" were made on two
rails or pieces driven into the walls, one for
the side and ono for the end, in he corner
of the cabin, tie other ends of these rails
being let into post, the entire structure
frequently having but one bed post Boards
were laid across from the long rail to the
wall, or from rail to rail, and on these the
bed-if the happy family had anyways laid.
The table was either made OF boards nailed
to rough, unwieldy frame, or it was made
on stakes driven into the ground. e., the
floor Meat was plenty, but breadstuf was
ut first brought from the older settlements on
the Mississippi, Ohio or Wabash. Some had
little hand mills that would grind a bushel
or two OF corn in day, and they did well.
But many had to beat this meal in q mortar
One family had big kettle which they used
for mortar but generally the mortar was
q stump with a basin burned out in the top
of it. Over this was suspended on sweep
o huge billet Of wood. This billet was
brought down upon the grain in the mortar,
the sweep raised it, and so, thu1np, thump,
the pounding went on till the grain was
broken small enough to make bread. An
other style OF mortar was made Of large
block. and the pestle was a maui with an
iron wedge in the end Of it. This was used
in bad weather, IS It could be brought in
doors, and it cut the grain rapidly. The
meal was sifted through a sieve, made by
punching a piece Of deerskin full Of holes
with a hot spindle and stretching it over a
hoop. In the early autumn meal was grated,
and the bread made OF this meal and baked
on a bard or in the ashes was as delicious as
heart could wish. But finer delicacies than
these were sometimes prepared. Meal was
SEARCHED is. it was beaten very fine,
then it was put into cloth of loose, open
texture, end as much as possible sifted and
beaten out through the cloth. This was
Searched" meal, and it was nearly rs fine az
flour
Most of the hats or caps worn were made
Of skins, often of the most fantastic shapes,
bat in summer the straw hat was common.
The hats the men brought to this country
with them were worn on Sunday. AS the
original supply Of clothing began to fail, the
first resource was TO make clothes Of deer
skins. Those in the hands Of the Indians
made excellent clothing: but our first set
tiers were not such good tanners, and the
clothes did not Go 50 well. The breeches
soon got a tremendous knee that was q per-
manent thing. When the men or boys went
out into the grass while the dew was on, the
breeches would soon be dangling around
their feet and then about 10 o clock, or
sooner, when they became dry again, they
rust.ed and cracked about their knees as
much too short Moccasins were almost
universally worn-often being made for
winter use Of skins with the hair on. In
warm weather ell went barefoot
Most Of the leisure time was spent in visit
ing or hunting, horse races and protracted
meetings Much time was also spent in
going to mill 4 two bushel sack Of corn
was shelled; long before daylight the next
morning the hustle Of getting OF began, so
as 70 make the trip in one day II possible;
the sack was thrown across horse, man or
boy mounted and logged away, followed by
many cautions about crossing the creeks
and muc!. anxiety was felt if the boys failed
10 get back the next night or the following
day.
| had better describe one OF the mills.
There is an open shed, open al around. In
the middle a large post-say eighteen inches
in diameter-turns on pivot in block set
in the ground and is stayed by cross beams
at the top: this post, about two feet from
the ground, a beam goes through and eI-
tends eight or ten feet out at each end, and
70 these the horses are hitched About six
feet from the ground all round the post
sticks five or six feet long with a natural
fork at the end are driven into auger holes,
and in these forks raw hide round band or
rope works. Some later mills had light
wheel instead of these sticks. This band goes
round 4 Ett:a trundle head that turns the
milestone. The whole was out in the woods,
sometimes without even shed; so being at
mill was very much like being out Of doors.
Cor. Chicago Herald.